Phoenix Suns: Top free agent targets when free agency period begins

5. Bogdan Bogdanovic

Bogdan Bogdanovic has spent his entire three-year tenure in the NBA as a member of the Sacramento Kings.

Ironically, it was the Suns who initially drafted him back in 2014. They would trade his contract rights, along with Georgios Papagiannis, Skal Labissiére and a second-rounder to the Kings on draft night in 2016 in exchange for Marquese Chriss (which I’m sure they’re kicking themselves for), before Bogdanovic finally made the trip overseas from Turkey in 201717 to begin his NBA tenure.

His long-range shooting ability, savviness at the guard spot and sneaky athleticism immediately shined in Sactown, and he saw his scoring averages steadily climb from 11.8 points per game during his rookie year, to 14.1 and eventually 14.5 in ’19-20. He averaged just over 2.5 made threes per contest alongside a 43.3 percentage from the field and 1.0 steal per game, flashing a rugged prowess on the defensive end.

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Despite just three years in the association and clocking in at 27 years of age, Bogdanovic is a veteran on the pro circuit with over 10 years logged of professional competition.

That combination of youth and seasoning makes him a scary force in upcoming years. Just ask his current franchise, who will likely match any offer sheet that comes his way in restricted free agency.

The jury’s not out yet on whether he’ll re-sign though, and despite his expressed reverence for the city of Sacramento, sometimes it’s hard not to answer the phone when the money comes calling.

Bogdanovic has established enough of a name for himself to command big money from teams, and Phoenix might be none too shy to redeem themselves of their decision to part ways with him back in 2016.